76 acres of lush forest in the mesmerising hills of Kodai! Wait, there’s more…Within this space, a self-sustaining organic farm that provides for all the food needs and a completely self-reliant water supply system provided by many natural ponds and streams that’s supported by wells that are periodically recharged by these ponds during rains.
A complete natural habitat that contributes to the restoration of biodiversity, promotes harmonious association with nature and mitigates climate change, setting an outstanding example for a future proof location; an ecosystem immersed in natural living where humans co-exist in harmony.
In what I would call a serendipitous encounter, when I received a random message from someone who bought my book “Farmer Sutra” and found it interesting enough to browse through my website and contact me. In his message he shared about his interest in organic farming and biodiversity conservation. A few more exchanges led to meeting him in person.
Turns out he is the Founder of TKN Eco Farm, Teakayen Estate and Ekantha Wellness Centre. He insisted that we visit his property sometime, low and behold we find ourselves (my husband and I) at this beautiful, picturesque destination nestled in Kodai Hills.
Who doesn’t like the hills, but add to that a thriving organic farm and a wellness centre too, how amazing is that! We were totally floored by the prospect of this beautiful merging of all things we loved so dearly. When we arrived on the property, it was beyond what we had envisioned. It was so much more charming and absolutely enchanting!
What surprised me was in today’s commercialisation, this property is not listed anywhere. There is no website nor social media presence for this Hill-station-cum-organic-farm-stay destination.
The reason stated by Mr. Kumaresan for not wanting to market or promote this property is because he wants to attract only like-minded people through word-of-mouth, whose values and ethos are similar to his. He says, he nor his team want to convince anyone of why they choose to live by the rules they have established for this quaint Eco Farm property.
They have adapted totally Sustainable practices relating to fruits, vegetables, greens, flowers and herb production which are used at their Ekantha Wellness Centre for their guests coming for Wellness oriented stays, Wellness programs and Resident Investors.
The soil where they cultivate all the produce exceeds organic matter by more than 50%. More the organic content in the soil, more nutrient dense the produce, which makes for healthy food cultivation and consumption. They use all the weeds, vegetable scraps and waste from the cows for Bio-composting and in turn used in their organic farm.
They grow hundreds of fruit bearing trees just for birds consumption which has resulted in attracting more than 100 varieties of exotic birds catalogued at TKN Eco Farm. This effort is dedicated to promoting biodiversity practices at the property premises.
They have also desilted many acres of their water bodies and are currently storing an excess of 60 million litres of rain water, moving towards being totally self-sufficient in their water needs.
Due to their concerted greening efforts, Forest department has provided them several thousands of tree saplings of Mahogany, Teak and local species to increase more plantation in the hills.
Mr. Kumaresan has established Ekantha Wellness Destination in Kodai Hills to offer Structured Wellness programs and Wellness oriented Farm stays. All of this is based on organic plant based vegan food, complimented by yoga and meditation practices, Forest bathing, hands-on organic farming, ayurvedic therapies and much more in a pristine ambiance.
This is a haven for anyone wanting to experience tranquility, wellness, wholesome food and lush greenery!
Hi Kalpana,
So delighted that Google has this blogpost on my feed. Always great to discover people following this path and learn from them. You are doing amazing work.
I’ve been volunteering on farms in the South for a while now and was wondering if you could share Mr. Kumaresan’s contact. I’d love to meet him since I’ll be in Kodaikanal next month or so.
And ofcourse if I can visit your farm too when I’m in Chennai next time . Let me know
Cheers
Nikita
Hi Nikita. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. My website was down and I couldn’t reply sooner. So glad to hear about your interest. I’ll surely convey your message to Mr. Kumaresan. Like I mentioned they aren’t listed on social platforms and work only through word of mouth and therefore can’t share info without their consent. Thanks once again for your lovely message.
This is a must visit place. The serinity and the purity of place gives the body, mind and soul what they miss in an urban city. Nature cures. I found in peace with myself. The chirping of the birds and the sound of water, the fresh organic food… a holistic approach to well being. A book that you long wanted to read, or the music you wanted to listen to , the walks that you missed, the peace you wanted. Tranquility at its best.
So wonderful to hear this Srikumar. Glad to know that you had visited this place as well. Such a beautiful place indeed. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
Fantastic ! Years ago I had visited the TKN Eco Farm when Mr Kumaresan was giving shape to his dream project of Ekantha Wellness. Delighted to know how his dream is becoming a reality. Must visit again and enjoy nature at its best . My complements to Mr Kumaresan and his team for their amazing vision and translating into reality . Pranams
Oh how lovely to hear that Colonel Achal! You must surely visit again sometime. It’s a haven indeed.
Paradise on Earth.
Marathon efforts.
CREATOR will bless creator!
Absolutely agree with you. One is amazed at the mamoth efforts Mr. Kumaresan had taken to realise this dream space. Thanks so much for your lovely words.
Hi Kalpana
I am a big fan of you.I appreciate your work n efforts you make . I really like your posts and always try to follow you.Its nice to read about this truly beautiful place.Can i know more about it ?
Thank you.
Thank you so much for your love and support. I really appreciate it. And thank you for taking the time out to convey your thoughts, you really made my day! Regarding more information, as I had mentioned in the post, they work on word-of-mouth basis and don’t advertise. Do share your specific queries on what information you would like and I can get back to you on that. And sorry for the late reply as my website was down.
Very good and serene place where one can connect with nature,experience tranquility, fresh air with healthy divine food….
Absolutely Gajalakshmi! Heavenly indeed!
Looks beautiful
Thank you Chitra. It sure is!